Industrial truck



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UNITED STATES PATENT ..oF'FICE A Y 436.8.1211 Y INDUSTRIAL Timon Eimer J. Dunham', nome creek, Miou., signor V to Clark Equipment Company, Buchanan, Mich., a. corporation o t Michigan y Application Juno 7,1943, soi-inno. 490,109-

1o claims. (ci. 214-113.)

This invention relates to industrial trucks and more particularly is concerned with the construction of industrial trucks employed for' op eration in warehouses, factories, loading doch', yards and the like where. material handling presents a problem. The present truck is particularly designed for operationin narrow aisles and passageways, andl into and out of box cars.

is assembling the engine, clutch, transmission.-

and axle as a rigid power unit, this entire as sembly being then pivotallyy mounted relative the frame so that the frame may be supported struction shown in Figure 4.

Figure 5 is a. sideperspective view of the conl view through the differential anddrive axle.

Figure '7 vis a vertical sectional view through the drive axle 'and v Figure 8 is an elevational view of the trans- Figure' is a horizontal sectional mission and' drive axle mechanism.

-Referring now in detail to Figures l to 5 inclusive, I have provided an industrial truck com- 'prising` the .drive axle 5,' thesteering axle 6 and the load/supporting uprights I mounted forwardly of the drive axle 5. Mounted for vertical movement within the uprights I isva load supporting "carriage 8 carrying lift ngers or forks 9 which are adapted to be'engaged under a load to receive the load thereonand through suitable hydraulic mechanism to be raised on the uprights to the dotted line position shown.

in Figure 2. 'I'he uprights attheir Lupper end are provided with a cross` member I0 providing at one end by the use of resilientmounting of j theenginethereom and at the other end vis pivotally` mounted aboutthe arms of the drive axle. .f

Still another feature of the present invention is the provision of a novel type of drive axle assembly bolted directly to the rear-end vwall of the transmission case, the` assemblyincluding a doubleL reduction of compact design.

Other features and advantages off'thev present inventionwill appear more Ifully'i'rom'the following dotaued descript1on,wmoh, taken. in

conjunction with the accompanying,dri'iwings,l

will disclose to those skilled in the art the particular construction and koperation of, ay prei ierred form of my invention.L y I. Inthe drawings: Y K y y .Y view oran. industrial truck according `to the present'invention; f Figure 2 isy a side elevational viewofthe truck shown'in' Figure' 1. I

Figure 3 is a perspectivefviewunit assembly and driveaxle.- yf Figure 4 is a1 top view'l of the frame I offline .f pdwr mbly 4a rigid spacing -and intermediately thereof there is provided a cross member I2 whichreceives one en I3 of a piston rod Il, the opposite end of t rod extending intov a cylinder adapted to be suitably actuated through a hy dra'ulic. system for pushing orpulling on -a rod I4 to produce tilting kmovement ofthe uprights forwardly or rearwardly as-'indi'cated by the dotted lines as shown in Figure 2.

On theitop `of the truckfbodyA there is provided a operator seat I5 which receives, the .op-

eratorl-w o steers thetruck through'the conventional Steeringwheelv i6, andjcontrols the operation ofthe .upright assembly and load supportingmeans through a ,pair of hydraulic control 1evers'ad1aoent theseat It.,l suitable clutch and brakepedals I8 and I9v project through the floor- "board 20 -of .the vehicle, th'e iloorboa'rd 20 being interruptec jcentrauyxog'tne vehicle' by the memberj 22 which forms. a protective housing r-for the mm3 Ylindell t0, Whichthe pistongrod It kis .oonnectedwg l .Theowo `sides 'ofv the. truckjarle adapted'1ro'4 be formed of suitable ounterweight members 'l which' are boltedv tot eisides of the: frame plate Koi boicoaito .me ,razona or the truck' forgoouiicerwhich contains the usual type of friction clutch,

. and has the transmission 32 extending rearwardly therefrom. This provides a. rigid mounting of the` transmission and clutch on the ilywheel housing. The transmission is of the twospeed type, having one gear shift lever 33 controlling high and low speeds and having a second gear shift lever 34 controlling the direction of drive so that the vehicle may be driven in either direction in either speed. 'I'he transmission case 32 terminates in a flange portion 35 to which is bolted the flange portion 36 of a differential housing 31. This housing in turn has bolted thereto arms 38 forming an axle for the vehicle. The details of the construction of the differential and axle will be described in' connection with Figures 6 to 8, inclusive.

Returning now to Figures 5 and 4, the frame plates 24 of the truck chassis are relatively heavy steel plate, and are spaced apart at one end by the transverse plate member 40 which in turn carries an angle shaped bracket 42 forming a support for the ends of springs 43 which in turn resiliently support the frame on the steering axle 44.

The axle 44 carries at its ends king pins 45 brackets 52 is a gas tank member 66, 'thus providing a convenient location for this member. y

Considering now in detail Figures 6 to 8 which are directed to the driving axle construction, the transmission case 82 is provided with rearwardly extending ear portions 10 adapted to provide suitable support for a transverse shaft 12 extending therebetween and mounted in suitable thrust bearings 13 secured in the ear portions 10. 'I'he shaft 12 has formed thereon the spur gear portion 14 and has a reduced portion 15 adapted to receive the bevel ring gear 16 keyed or otherwise non-rotatably secured thereto,

The gear-16 is adapted to be driven by the bevel pinion 11 extending from countershaft of the transmission 82 and in turn drives the gear 14 on shaft 32, the gear 14 having constant meshing engagement with the spur ring gear 18 bolted securely to the'diiferential case 19.

The differential case 19 is mounted within the differential housing 31 and is rotatably supported by the bearings 80 upon suitable bearing retaini end walls 83 of the differential housing'. These upon which are mounted the steering spindles 46 which carry the steering wheels 41. The two spindles 46 are interconnected through the tiev rods 48and 49 to a steering bracket 58 which has a portion 52 adapted to be controlled by a suitable tie rod connected to the lower end of the steering post 53 shown in Figure 2. The opposite ends of the springs 43 are fastened on suitable brackets 54`carried on a transverse spacing channel 55 extending between the side plates 24 intermediate their ends. Above the end plate there is provided suitable brackets 58 operating to isupport the radiator for the engine 25 thereon, the engine itself being supported by means of suitable brackets on the plate' 4|). Beyond the radiator supportedon brackets 56 the counterweight 25 is secured, the counterweight preferably having an opening therein providing for entrance of air into the radiator.

Forwardly of the transverse spacing member 55, there is provideda second .cross member 51 carrying two forwardly extending brackets 58 suitably apertured to receive therebetween the end 59 of a cylinder 69. The cylinder 60 carries a piston therein having the piston rod I4 connected for tilting the uprights. Thus, the reaction of the piston is taken by the transverse member 51. f'

Riveted or bolted to the depending ends of the side plates 24 just forwardly ofthe transverse member 55 are a pair of inwardly converging brackets 82 which terminate at their forward ends in spaced apart plates adapted to receive the reinforcing cradle member 68. 'Ihe cradle member 63 in turn carries forwardly projecting bearing brackets 64 which, with the bearing caps end walls also are adapted to receive the flanged portions 84 of the housing arms 85 extending laterally from each side of the differential case toward the drive wheels 88. The hub portions 81 of the differential case 19 are each adapted .to receive the splined inner ends of drive shafts 90. these drive shafts extending through the housing arms 85 and being suitably journaled in the outer ends of these arms as by means of the opposite tapered bearings 92. The projecting ends of the shafts are adapted to receive the hubs 93 of the wheels 94, which wheels in turn carry the usual solid rubber` tires 95. The ends of the housing arms 85 about the bearings 92 are so designed as to receive the backing plates 96 upon which the hydraulic brake assemblies for the wheels are mounted. In this connection it will be noted that the internal surface 91 of the wheels 94 is so machined as to provide the proper braking surface. i

It will .be apparent from this description that from the transmission shaft, which 'carries the bevel pinion 11, there is a double reduction of gears to the differential case 19, this being pro vided by the bevel ring gear 16 and the two spur the .axle shaft 98 disposed considerably below the axis of the shaft 12. As a result, the power u nit consisting of the engine 25 and transmission 82 is disposed at a sufficient height to provide the desired ground clearance and also to be readily supported within the frame shown in Figures '4 and 5 while the axle itself is disposed in pioper position for mounting in the journals 8 With respect to this latter feature, it will be noted that each of the housing arms 85 is provided with an annular machined surface 98 adapted to be journalled within the bearings 84 of the frame members whereby the entire chassis is mounted about the housing arms. The surfaces 98 also provide means for rotatably supporting the uprights at their lower ends, the uprights being provided with suitable brackets having journal portions engaging about these suraces. y

It is therefore believed apparent that I have provided a novel type of industrial truck construction whichv is of compact but rigid design, capable of utilizing but small lateral space for operation and yet having all of the features of more elaborate and expensive types of fork trucks.

I therefore do not intend to be limited to the exact details herein shown and described, but

only insofar as designed by the scope and spiritl of the appended claims.

I claim:

l. In anindustrial truck, a chassis, a rigid power unit consisting of engine, transmission and drive axle, means journalling one end of said chassis on the arms -of said drive axle, a transverse floor board secured to said chassis, and extending over said transmission,- a pair of load upporting uprights pivotally mounted' at their lower ends about the arms of said drive axle adjacent thechassisjournal means, a tilt cylinder pivotally mounted on said chassis Aand extending in the plane of said oorboard, a protecting' housing interrupting said floorboard to enclose said cylinder, and a piston in said cylinder con-I nected to said uprights for tilting them about said pivotal mounting.

2. In an industrial truck, a chassis, a drive axle under one end of said chassis having oppositely extending housing arms, laterally spaced uprights forwardly of said axle having means pivotally mounting them at their lower ends about said arms, means pivotally mounting said chassis at one end about said arms inwardly of said uprights, a transverse cross-member in said chassis, a tilt cylinder, means pivotally mounting said cylinder at one end on said cross-member, a piston in said cylinder, and means connecting said pistons to said uprights,

3. The truck of claim 2 wherein said last-named means includes a bracket rigidly interconnecting said uprights at a point adjacent the lower ends thereof and above said pivotal mounting.

4. An axle and drive unit assembly for an industrial truck comprising an axle housing having a central diiferential housing portion provided with an offset vertical bolt flange portion, a transmission having a countershaft provided with a bevel pinion and having laterally spaced journal ears on opposite sides of said pinion, a

transverse lay shaft journalled in said ears and carrying a ring gear and a spur gear portion, said pinion driving said ring gear, a differential in said housing having an annular spur gear driven from said spur gear portion on said shaft,

said transmission having a mating bolt flange 58 portion rigidly secured to .said differential housing ange portion with said ears and pinion disposed within said differential housing portion.

5. The assembly of claim 4 wherein the axis of said pinion lies above `a horizontal plane through the axis of said differential.

6. The assembly of claim 4 wherein the axis of said lay shaft is disposed above and parallel to the axis of said differential.

7. In combination, a transmission including a housing having an annular bolt ange, said transmission having outwardly projecting ears, a countershaft having a bevel pinion disposed lntermecliate said ears, a lay shaft having its ends journalled in said ears and having a ring gear driven by said pinion, a diierential housing, a dierential case therein having an external spur gear thereon and a spur gear portion on said shaft driving said differential spur gear, said differential housing having an annular bolt flange secured to said transmission flange and enclosing said shaft and pinion.

8. In an industrial truck, a chassis having journal portions at one `end thereof, a rigid power unit assembly including an engine, transmission and drive axle having oppositely extending housing arms, journal surfaces on said arms for pivotally mounting said chassis journals thereon, and a pair of uprights having means at their lower ends pivotally mounting said uprights on said surfaces adjacent said chassis journals.

9. Drive means for an industrial truck includ- Jg a transmission housing having a bolt flange at one end thereof and laterally spaced ears projecting beyond said flange, change speed gearing in said transmission and including a rearwardly extending countershaft having a pinion gear located between said ears, a drive axle housing bolted to said iiange and enclosing said ears and pinion gear. a transverse shaft journalled in said ears and having a ring gear driven by said pinion gear, a diilerential in said housing having an external spur gear, and a spur pinion on said transverse shaft driving said differential gear.

l0. Drive means for an industrial truck including a drive axle housing having a differential provided with an external spur gear, a transmission housing rigidly bolted to said axle housing and having a rearward extension into said axle housing including a transverse shaft carrying a ring gear, a driving pinion on said shaft meshing with saidl spur gear, and a pinion extending rearwardly from said transmission housing into said axle housing and driving said ring gear.

EIMERJ. DUNHAM.- 

